Top Causes of Florida Auto Accident Injuries

According to a report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, as of November 25, 2018, there were 349,430 car crashes in 2018. As a result of these accidents, there were 221,723 reported injuries. That’s a staggering number but not surprising given the reputation of Florida drivers. Injuries sustained in an auto accident commonly include fractures, back and neck injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. In Florida, the most common causes of these injuries include:

Distracted Driving

According to a 2017 study, Florida was the second worst state in the nation for distracted driving. Distracted driving is anything that takes your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road or your focus off of the task at hand. Distracted driving can result in drivers not seeing other vehicles, failing to notice stop signs and traffic signals, and drifting into other lanes of traffic. All of these situations can lead to serious injuries to other drivers.

Drowsy Driving

A driver who is drowsy is dangerous on the roadway because fatigue can impair the driver’s ability to make decisions, slow down thought process and reaction time, and affect judgment and vision. This can lead to drivers veering into other lanes, rear-end collisions and other serious accidents.

Speeding

Speed limits in Florida are put in place to help drivers get to their destinations safely. When drivers go above the speed limit, their chances of being involved in an accident are high. Speeding makes it more difficult to navigate turns and curves and can make it more difficult to react to hazards in the road. In addition, a high-speed car crash can lead to more severe injuries than a crash at normal speed.

Bad Weather

Wet roads and heavy rains are common in Florida. Bad weather and road conditions can cause a vehicle to react unpredictably. Drivers who don’t know how to handle a car in bad weather can cause serious accidents.

Failing to Obey Traffic Signals

Failing to come to a full stop at a stop sign or ignoring a traffic light can easily result in an intersection accident. Side-impact crashes are commonly the result of a failure to obey traffic signs and signals and can cause serious injuries to other drivers and passengers.

Drunk Driving

In Florida, if a driver has a blood alcohol content of .08% or higher or is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, that driver is considered a drunk driver. Drunk drivers have a severely impaired ability to react to changing situations on the road and frequently drive at high speeds. This can result in tragic accidents with traumatic injuries.

Contact a Trusted Attorney

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you should consult with an experienced personal injury attorney. Contact the trusted lawyers at Abrahamson & Uiterwyk online or call us at 1-800-753-5203 to schedule your free consultation.

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